1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to exercising devices and more particularly to foot and leg exercising devices for use by ill or debilitated individuals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
People who are debilitated by reason of illness or age are frequently confined to chairs or beds because they do not have the strength to walk unaided, or at least not for any great distance. As a result, such people are deprived of the opportunity for healthful mild exercise, and their condition becomes even worse because of this lack. This problem has been recognized for a long time, and many mechanical devices have been designed for passively exercising the feet and lower legs of such individuals. The general purpose of such devices is to move the feet and lower legs of the individual to provide the exercise which the person cannot obtain for himself. In some cases an attempt has been made to simulate the actual motion of the legs in walking. This exercise prevents pooling of blood in the lower legs, with its accompanying bad effects on the circulatory system, and prevents the atrophy of the leg muscles. In this way the general health of the individual is promoted, and, if the disability is a temporary one, his convalescence is aided.
The foot and leg exercising machines hitherto proposed, however, have suffered from a number of drawbacks. A number of machines have been designed to provide a rather vigorous type of exercise, resembling riding a bicycle rather than walking. Such machines are apparently intended to be used by people who are in general good health but have lost the use of their legs. While such machines are valuable for their intended use, the exercise they provide is generally too vigorous for people who are ill or aged. Other exercisers have been designed to simulate walking more closely. Devices of this type are disclosed, for example, by Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,898; Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,001; Hueftle, U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,436; and Phiffer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,940. These machines are, in some cases, rather large and bulky, and incorporate mechanical features which tend to make them difficult to construct and use and may affect their reliability. It also appears that the simulation of waking provided by the hitherto known machines leaves something to be desired.
Hence a need has continued to exist for a simple, inexpensive passive exerciser for the feet and legs of people who have to spend a large portion of the time confined to a chair.